Are the Sigils of Emperor Basil II a Reliable Source

Authors:

Pages: 472-480

Abstract:

The three sigils of Emperor Basil II were issued in 1018 – 1025, and there in the territorial scope of Bulgarian (Ohrid) Archdiocese was defined. The texts of the sigils reached us in much later copies. In the second sigil the emperor explicitly stated thatthe. Archdiocesehad the same rangeas the one in the time of Tsar Petera nd Tsar Samuil. Both the analysis of the listed in the sigils Episcopal centers and a comparison with other written data and archaeological survey indicate a very serious discrepancy. This discrepancy can be explained only by the fact that the preserved texts of the sigils had undergone adjustments in a later period, note earlier than the end of the XIth century, and the before can not be used as a reliable historical source.

Keywords:

Sigils of Emperor Basil II, Archbishopric of Ohrid, historical geography, settlement pattern, demographic changes

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